Tijs Vastesaeger is founder of Doenker (doer/thinker) and has been moving at the intersection of creativity and entrepreneurship since 2009. He coaches organizations, artists and companies on organizational development, strategy and business planning. He also often does research or coaching assignments for governments. He also teaches at KASK & Conservatorium in Ghent and was previously a lecturer at PXL in Hasselt. He has a fixed freelance assignment for Cultuurloket as consultant business advice and co-coordinator of the Business & Art programme (Bisart).  

When he was in his early twenties, he was already working as an advisor to the Flemish Minister of Culture where he co-wrote a.o. the reform of the local culture policy (2001), the Arts Decree (2004), the circus policy, the development of a support framework for socio-artistic activities, the liberalization of the amateur arts sector and the reform of the socio-cultural sector. 

He then became an advisory and policy manager at Poppunt (since 2020 VI.BE). He was also the chief of cabinet of the alderman for Culture, Events & Tourism of the city of Ghent for six years and thus got to know urban decision-making processes from the inside.  

In recent years, Doenker has worked for the City of Ghent, Flemish Community Commission, Collectif Malunés, Arts Center Buda, B-Classic, De Vaartkapoen, Pukkelpop, Cultuurcentrum Belgica, Muziekodroom, Next Festival, De Centrale, and many others.